Atomizer

ABSTRACT

The atomizer includes a pair of complemental sections held together so that at least one is rotatable relative to the other; the complemental meeting edges are helical, the beginning of each helix forming a shoulder, whereby the rotating of one of the sections relative to the other determines a slit of selected length for the nozzle orifice; the sections herein illustrated are half-spheres which are sufficiently hollow to form a chamber at the meeting edges; means being provided to introduce a medium under low pressure to be expelled through the nozzle orifice; and axial means being provided to adjustably hold the two elements; in the present illustration a low pressure gaseous substance, such as air is expelled through the nozzle orifice to atomize a liquid which is introduced so as to spread over the aforesaid spherical surface and over said orifice; one or more such coacting shoulders may be provided on the helical meeting edges to provide one or more nozzle orifices adjustable simultaneously.

United States Patent 1191 Tyrone 1 ATOMIZER [76] Inventor: Murray Gene Tyrone, 906 Santa Ana Drive, Santa Rosa, Calif. 95404 [22] Filed: Nov. 11, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 522,615

[52] U.S.Cl. ..239/417.5;239/426;239/434; 239/451 51 Int. cl. B05B 7/08; BOSB 1/30 [58] Field of Search 239/417.5, 422, 426, 428, 239/429-431, 433, 434, 451, DIG. 7, 597; 431/237; 261/78 R, 115

[4 Oct. 7, 1975 Primary Examiner-M. Henson Wood, Jr. Assistant ExaminerAndres Kashnikow Attorney, Agent, or FirmGeorge B. White [57] ABSTRACT The atomizer includes a pair of complemental sections held together so that at least one is rotatable relative to the other; the complemental meeting edges are helical, the beginning of each helix forming a shoulder, whereby the rotating of one of the sections relative to the other determines a slit of selected length for the nozzle orifice; the sections herein illustrated are halfspheres which are sufficiently hollow to form a chamber at the meeting edges; means being provided to introduce a medium under low pressure to be expelled through the nozzle orifice; and axial means being provided to adjustably hold the two elements; in the present illustration a low pressure gaseous substance, such as air is expelled through the nozzle orifice to atomize a liquid which is introduced was to spread over the aforesaid spherical surface and over said orifice; one or more such coacting shoulders may be provided on the helical meeting edges to provide one or more nozzle orifices adjustable simultaneously.

7 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,910,501

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,910,501

ATOMIZER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Atomizers with spherical surface have been heretofore provided, for instance in the manner shown in several patents, granted to R. S. Babington, such as in US. Pat. No. 3,425,058 in a fuel burner, US. Pat. No. 3,751,210 in two-stage vaporizing fuel oil burners; US. Pat. No. 3,425,059 in a humidification apparatus and the like.

The method and various uses of such atomizers are described in an article entitled It's Super Spray" by Simon Dresner in the May 1973 issue of the Popular Science Magazine, beginning on Page 102.

However, none of these atomizers are capable of adjustment of the nozzle orifice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The primary object of the invention is to provide substantially helical meeting edges of two hollow elements held tightly together capable of conducting a low pressure medium to an orifice created by complemental shoulders at the beginning of the respective helical edges of said elements; at least one of said elements being supported for rotation about an axis, said axis extending through the center line of said helical edges whereby the distance between said shoulders can be adjusted thereby to vary the size of the atomizer slit at will.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple structure for the type of atomizer wherein a liquid to be atomized is poured over a surface so that the liquid flows past a nozzle orifice, means being provided to introduce gas under low pressure discharged through said orifice for atomizing the liquid flowing thereover, the improvement being the adjustability of the nozzle orifice by forming the orifice by complemental helical meeting edges of complemental hollow sections.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the atomizer constructed in accordance with the invention herein.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal section of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective detail view of the liquid dispenser of this device.

FIG. 4 is a perspective developed view showing a pair of semispherical sections of the atomizer with the complemental helical meeting edges.

FIG. 5 illustrates a slit formed by the helical meeting edges.

FIG. 6 illustrates the adjustment for a longer slit.

FIG. 7 illustrates a still longer slit adjustment.

FIG. 8 is a developed view of semi-spherical halves with the helical complemental edges having several complemental shoulders to form several nozzle slits.

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a modified mounting of said atomizer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The two elements or sections forming the nozzle body are of the type capable to guide the flow of liquid toward the nozzle orifice. AS shown in FIG. 1 there is an upper semispherical nozzle section 1 and a lower semi-spherical section 2 having complemental helical meeting edges 3. The shoulders 4 at the beginning of the respective helical edges define therebetween a slit 6 which forms the nozzle orifice. A liquid dispenser, in this illustration; a dispenser ring 7 has suitable dispensing apertures 8 facing toward the outer surface of the upper semi-spherical section 1 so that the dispensed liquid will flow over the same and as the liquid passes over the orifice 6, an atomizing gas under pressure emitted through the orifice 6 atomizes the liquid.

In the illustration in FIG. 1 the atomizing gas or air is admitted through a conduit 9 held in the upper arm 11 of a frame 12 and extended axially through the upper spherical section 1 and journaled at its lower end in a socket 13 in the lower spherical body 2. A coil spring 14 between the upper arm 11 and the top of the upper spherical section 1 presses the upper element 1 against the lower element 2 so as to seal the meeting edges 3 against the escape of a low pressure medium. Apertures 16 in the conduit 9 register with a chamber 17 formed at the meeting edges 3 of the semi-spherical elements. The outer end of the conduit 9 is rotatably held in a supply or feeding pipe 18 suitably supported relatively to the unit. A handle 19 on the conduit 9 facilitates the turning of the upper spherical section 1 relatively to the lower spherical section 2. The lower spherical section 2 is supported on a stem 21 extended from the lower arm 22 of the frame 12. A pan 23 on the lower arm 22 collects the liquid flowing past the orifice 6 and through a drain 24 it discharges the un-atomized liquid such as oil for re-circulation.

The illustrative forms shown in FIGS. 4 to 7 show hollow semi-spherical sections 26 and 27 with their helical meeting edges 28 and complemental shoulders 29 to form the slit or nozzle orifice 31 illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The hubs 32 and 33 in the respective semispherical sections 26 and 27 are for accomodating respective conduits.

As shown in FIG. 8, the helical meeting edges have several shoulders 34 which complemental shoulders form nozzles all around the meeting edges for purposes where spraying or atomizing all around is required.

In the form shown in FIG. 9 the supporting frame 36 is generally indicated as having a lower support 37 and an upper support 38. A hollow stem 39 extends from the lower support 37 forming a gas passage 41 connected by a conduit 42 to a source of compressed gaseous medium such as air. Apertures 43 communicate the passage 41 with the interior of the lower semi-spherical section 44. In this form a liquid conductor tube 46 is extended through a gland 47 threaded into the top 38 of the support frame and through a ball-bearing 48 and the neck 49 of the upper semi-spherical section 51 and is secured therein, for instance by a set screw 50. The lower end of this tube 46 is journaled in a hub 52 in the lower semi-spherical section 44 in axial registry with the upper end of the passage 41. The apertures 43 are in the sides of the tube 46 and open into the cavity of the sections 44 and 51. The tube 46 is plugged by a fixed plug 53 below the neck 49 to prevent escape of liquid into the spherical cavity. Apertures 54 in the tube 46 are in registry with an annular groove 56 in the neck 49, and holes 57 leading from said groove 56 to the exterior of the neck 49 conduct liquid over the outer surface of the upper spherical section 51 for atomization. In this embodiment the gland 47 presses on the ball bearing 48 to hold the semi-spherical sections tightly together.

I claim:

1. in an atomizer device,

a pair of hollow elements,

complemental substantially helical meeting edges of said elements,

shoulders on said complemental helical edges defining at least one n'ozzle orifice for atomizing,

means to hold said elements together so that at least one element is movable relative to the other about an axis corresponding to the axis of said helical edges,

said elements forming a chamber at least in the vicinity of said meeting edges,

and means to convey a medium into said chamber for discharge through said nozzle orifice.

2. The atomizer device specified in claim 1, and

said elements having a surface adapted to conduct a fluid to be atomized over said orifice,

and means to feed said fluid to said surface.

3. The atomizer device specified in claim 1, and

at least one of said elements having a spherical exterior surface,

and means to feed a liquid to be atomized on said spherical surface so that said liquid flows over said orifice for atomization.

4. The atomizer as specified in claim 1, and

each of said elements being of generally semispherical shape, and

said helical meeting edges having several coacting shoulders to form a corresponding number of nozzle orifices.

5. The atomizer specified in claim 1, and

said means for holding said elements together including a frame and a spring between a portion of the frame and at least one of said elements.

6. The atomizing device specified in claim 1, and

said means to hold said elements together including an air conduit extended to one of said elements and being joumaled in the other element,

and means to communicate said air conduit with the chamber formed within said elements.

7. The atomizer specified in claim 4, and,

a liquid conduit axially secured to one of said elements,

an annular chamber formed in said element adjacent said liquid conduit and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures for discharging the liquid over the surface of the adjacent element,

and an air conduit extended into the chamber between the elements for conducting a medium under low pressure for discharge through said orifices for vaporizing the liquid flowing thereover. 

1. In an atomizer device, a pair of hollow elements, complemental substantially helical meeting edges of said elements, shoulders on said complemental helical edges defining at least one nozzle orifice for atomizing, means to hold said elements together so that at least one element is movable relative to the other about an axis corresponding to the axis of said helical edges, said elements forming a chamber at least in the vicinity of said meeting edges, and means to convey a medium into said chamber for discharge through said nozzle orifice.
 2. The atomizer device specified in claim 1, and said elements having a surface adapted to conduct a fluid to be atomized over said orifice, and means to feed said fluid to said surface.
 3. The atomizer device specified in claim 1, and at least one of said elements having a spherical exterior surface, and means to feed a liquid to be atomized on said spherical surface so that said liquid flows over said orifice for atomization.
 4. The atomizer as specified in claim 1, and each of said elements being of generally semi-spherical shape, and said helical meeting edges having several coacting shoulders to form a corresponding number of nozzle orifices.
 5. The atomizer specified in claim 1, and said means for holding said elements together including a frame and a spring between a portion of the frame and at least one of said elements.
 6. The atomizing device specified in claim 1, and said means to hold said elements together including an air conduit extended to one of said elements and being journaled in the other element, and means to communicate said air conduit with the chamber formed within said elements.
 7. The atomizer specified in claim 4, and, a liquid conduit axially secured to one of said elements, an annular chamber formed in said element adjacent said liquid conduit and having a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures for discharging the liquid over the surface of the adjacent element, and an air conduit extended into the chamber between the elements for conducting a medium under low pressure for discharge through said orifices for vaporizing the liquid flowing thereover. 